Caroline Chapman is the founder of Grounded HR, a York-based consultancy dedicated to helping small businesses navigate people challenges with compassion, clarity, and practicality. With over 26 years of experience in Human Resources and CIPD qualifications, Caroline set out to “put the human back into HR” and has built a thriving, values-led business that does exactly that.
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Building a business through uncertainty
Caroline founded Grounded HR in early 2020, just six weeks before the first global lockdown. What could have been a major setback instead became a defining moment. From day one, uncertainty, adaptability, and creative problem-solving shaped the business.
Rather than resist the changing landscape, Caroline embraced it, learning to grow at a pace that reflected the world around her. Nearly six years on, Grounded HR has evolved from a solo venture into a strong, supportive team, working with businesses across York, North Yorkshire, and beyond.
Before launching her business, Caroline had already demonstrated her passion for empowering others by organising York’s first TEDx Women event (TEDx Holgate Women) in 2019 and again in 2023 creating a platform for inspiring local women to share their stories on a global stage.
About Grounded HR
Grounded HR operates within the professional services sector, specialising in HR consultancy for micro and small businesses. The company supports employers through every stage of the employee lifecycle, from hiring their first team member to navigating restructures, disciplinaries, and complex workplace issues.
Alongside consultancy, Grounded HR partners with Breathe HR to provide digital HR solutions and works with recruitment specialists to help businesses fill difficult roles.
At its heart, the business is built on a simple but powerful philosophy:
HR should be human.
Caroline has also created a unique internal culture, offering her team ultimate flexibility, allowing them to choose when and where they work, while still delivering exceptional service to clients.
Overcoming challenges
Starting a business just before a global pandemic while raising three children (aged 12, 10, and 7 at the time) was Caroline’s greatest challenge. Days were spent home-schooling, with work continuing late into the evenings, an intense and relentless routine.
Without a roadmap, she leaned into flexibility, adapting services, responding to client needs and allowing the business to grow organically rather than forcing it. That mindset has since become a core strength of Grounded HR.
Personal resilience and purpose
Caroline’s journey has also been shaped by significant personal challenges. She started the business while caring for a seriously unwell child and balancing the financial uncertainty of self-employment. During lockdown, she also navigated her children’s additional needs, including autism and ADHD assessments, while recognising similar traits in herself.
Having previously been diagnosed with dyslexia, Caroline was later diagnosed with ADHD in 2021, a moment that brought clarity to many lifelong experiences. At the same time, she was unknowingly navigating perimenopause, with severe sleep disruption that made an already challenging period even more difficult.
Despite this, she continued to show up for her clients, her family, and her growing business. These experiences now underpin the ethos of Grounded HR, creating workplaces that are empathetic, flexible, and truly human-centred.
Growth and impact
Having recently celebrated their 6th anniversary in February, Grounded HR is in a growth and consolidation phase. The business has expanded its team, built strong partnerships, and achieved recognitions such as the Good Business Charter and Living Wage Employer status.
With a strong reputation and a clear set of values, Caroline is focused on continuing to grow sustainably while maintaining the integrity and culture that define the business.
As part of her ongoing work to support and inspire future talent, Caroline was also recently involved in the University of York Business Society’s “Pathways into HR” event, sharing her insights and experience with students exploring careers in the field.
Business role models
Caroline draws inspiration not from high-profile figures, but from the local business community, the entrepreneurs and small business owners who show up every day with resilience, integrity, and a commitment to doing things the right way.
“The support from our community, clients, collaborators and fellow business owners has shaped Grounded HR into what it is today,” she reflects.